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Rhapsody In Blue

1945, Movie, NR, 139 mins

Rhapsody In Blue: Review

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George Gershwin died before he was 40, but his music continues to be a source of delight and inspiration. Like NIGHT AND DAY and WORDS AND MUSIC--film biographies about Cole Porter and Rogers and Hart, respectively--RHAPSODY IN BLUE has little to do with the real life of its subject, but, as is the case with those films, its subject's wonderful songs are the main attraction. In telling its story of the Gershwin Brothers' rise to fame from Manhattan's Lower East Side, RHAPSODY IN BLUE offers the usual scenes of song-plugging, struggle, failure, rehearsals, and backstage life; episodes in New York, London, and Paris; goes so far as to invent a character who never existed (played by Joan Leslie); and alters others to the point of laughability. In his second film, Robert Alda won't be confused for Laurence Olivier, but he does contribute a relatively convincing portrayal of George Gerswhin, while Herbert Rudley, as Ira, looks very much like the master wordsmith at the same age and carries off his part well. There are many celebrity impersonations, as well as appearances by several stars playing themselves, but the film's best lines belong to Gershwin's good friend Oscar Levant (as himself), who contributes piano solos along with Ray Turner. Max Steiner did the musical adaptation with orchestrations by Ray Heindorf and Ferde Grofe, composer of the "Grand Canyon Suite." Given this lineup and Gershwins' timeless tunes, it would be possible to remove all the talk, leave the music, and still have a good movie; and, of course, in the age of remote-control "mute" buttons, that's an option. leave a comment
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Rhapsody In Blue- Piano Solo (Alfred Masterwork Edition)
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